Keep the cheap parts that stop an entire shift: fuses and relays, a spare control joystick, IP-rated connectors, at least one charged battery box, polyurethane wheels with bearings, stainless fasteners, a lifting cable, a seal kit, and a supply of UV bulbs and watering nozzles. None of these is expensive on its own. All of them are capable of idling a picking crew if the drawer is empty when they are needed.
Which electrical parts belong in the drawer?
Electrical faults are usually the quickest to clear, provided the replacement is in the building.
- Fuses and relays. They are the first thing to go after a surge, and the right fuse turns a dead machine into a working one in minutes. Keep the sizes that fit your drives, not a generic assortment.
- Control joystick or switch panel. On a NEWTON picking lorry the joystick is the most handled component on the machine, and mechanical wear in the controller stops the unit as completely as a motor failure would.
- Connectors and cable glands. Constant movement eventually strains a cable. IP-rated connectors held in stock also mean a repair does not quietly downgrade the sealing of the box it was made in.
How many battery boxes is enough?
Without power, even a well-specified electric lorry is a heavy manual trolley. Hold at least one battery unit more than you have machines. That supports a rolling charge cycle and means a failed cell costs a picker one swap rather than the rest of the shift.
Keep spare charging leads too: they live on the corridor floor, get stepped on and caught in doors, and fail predictably.
Which mechanical wear parts run out first?
These are the components in permanent contact with the rails of your shelving, and they wear by design rather than by fault.
- Polyurethane wheels and stainless bearings. Wheels are the tyres of the farm. A worn set makes the machine pull and drag long before it fails outright, and that drag is paid for in picker effort every hour.
- Drive belts or chains. A snapped chain is rare and absolute: the machine stops mid-room. One of each size on site is enough.
- Stainless fasteners. Vibration loosens hardware, and a bin of the right high-grade bolts turns a repair into a tightening job instead of a search.
What do you need for the lifting system?
- Lifting cable or strap. If the platform is raised by a winch, a spare cable is not optional. A worn lifting cable must be replaced when it is found, not when it is convenient, which only works if the replacement exists on site.
- Seal kit. Where the platform uses a hydraulic cylinder, a minor weep caught early can be fixed in a scheduled break rather than waiting on a delivery.
What about hygiene and environment spares?
The room has to stay clean and properly lit for the crew to work, and these items fail quietly.
- UV bulbs and glue boards for insect traps. A trap with a dim bulb still looks like it is working, and biosecurity degrades with no visible event.
- Watering nozzles. Mineral build-up clogs them, and one clogged nozzle waters one bed less than its neighbours. A box of spares makes it an instant swap.
- Guidance lamps. Selective picking depends on consistent light; a single failed lamp changes how a whole aisle is picked.
Which single spare is worth the most?
A complete disconnectable drive unit. Rather than diagnosing a motor fault in a wet growing room, the crew removes the module and fits the spare, which takes the mean time to repair from hours to seconds and moves the diagnosis to the workshop. It is the most expensive item here and the only one that removes a whole class of downtime. Where the machine uses a fixed electric drive, hold its wear parts instead of the whole assembly.
The kit in one table
| Category | Must-have spares | What it stops |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical | Fuses, relays, joystick, dielectric spray | Dead machine, unresponsive controls |
| Power | Spare battery box, charging leads | Half a shift lost to a flat or failed cell |
| Mechanical | Wheels, bearings, fasteners, one belt or chain | Drag, pulling, a mid-room stop |
| Lifting | Winch cable, seal kit | Platform out of service on safety grounds |
| Environment | UV bulbs, glue boards, watering nozzles, spare lamp | Biosecurity drift, uneven watering, poor picking light |
Related reading
- Cutting downtime with preventive maintenance
- Maintenance schedule for electric winches and platform lifts
- Preventing corrosion on wheels and moving parts
- All articles: GrowTime Knowledge
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